[Cactus Jack]

2000 Owsley County was another really good one. Lost four games in-state all season-- early games at South Laurel and to Perry Central, All A Semifinal to Whitefield Academy, another loss at Perry Central late, and the regional semi to Knott County Central. The 2000 Corbin team that they beat was the same team that gave Russellville a really good game in Rupp. Might be dating myself, but seemed like one of the school's best chances to go to the Sweet 16 in a generation.

Not one of the all-time "best that never" teams like some listed here, but I thought that Breathitt County was going to win the 14th in 2003. Saw them play a couple of times that season and thought they had a lot of really nice pieces. If I'm not mistaken, Haddix was their point guard, they had a skinny kid who shot really well, and a few big kids that seemed like they could punish you one the glass.


Been over these before, but 1998 Bell County, 1998 Corbin, 1999 Harlan, and 2001 Bell County were some really good teams from the 13th that didn't make the trip. All of those teams had some kids who were really good high school players and could do a lot to help you win. I don't know that any of those go any deeper than the 13th went in any of those seasons (losing to Paintsville in '98, Madison Central in '99, or Russellville in '01), but they were all good enough to beat a handful of teams that made those fields. Harlan probably gets talked about the least out of the 90's teams, but Clay County didn't beat them too badly in the regional final and I think one of their starters went down with a pretty bad leg injury really early in that regional final.

Going back to their days in the 12th, the South Laurel team that was upset by Somerset was capable of giving Scott County a much better game than they got from Mercer County in the opener. That's probably one of the bigger upsets of the 2000's if you consider those mountain teams.